MORE damage has been sustained to Launceston’s iconic packhorse bridge, and one local resident is calling for more sympathetic repairs to be carried out by Cormac.

Sara Fell Hicks takes a walk from her home on St Thomas Road down to Riverside each day to feed the ducks, passing the beautiful Grade I listed packhorse bridge each time.

However, she says “it’s a piece of Launceston’s history which is so treasured by many and being trashed by the few”.

Sara has become increasingly concerned about the number of flagstones that have “gone missing” from the bridge, with one recently falling into the river itself. She says it has not been helped by the “bad repairs” carried out by Cormac in the interim.

She told the Post: “Sadly more damage today and more bad repairs by Cormac to Launceston’s precious Grade I listed late-medieval packhorse bridge at Riverside. There’s two more flagstones in the river and the other large flagstones that were retrieved from the river last time damage was done seem to have ‘gone missing’ and so Cormac have completely unsympathetically bodged the gaps and just put loose sand under other big flagstones that will also end up in the river or ‘lost’ or hurting the children who rock the flagstones into the river.

“[Cormac] have since gone back and done more recently, but it’s a poor job, flagstones are unstable still and they have rounded off parts where flagstones are missing which looks terrible from the side.”

She continued: “This bridge truly is a place of solace for many people and has been used solidly by pedestrians whilst the road bridge work has been carried out. As a major piece of Launceston’s history we need to take pride in preserving it properly, not continuously offering locals who love this bridge empty promises that repairs will be carried out within the rules of its Grade 1 historical monument heritage status, when clearly the bridge is simply being left to fall into disrepair and or substandard repairs are allowed to be carried out.”

Sara has implored those in charge to ensure the slates in the river are retrieved and the bridge is repaired properly.

Sara added: “I last heard the town council had some of the missing flagstones in their care?”

A town council spokesperson confirmed: “We took the stone to the Cormac depot so it is in safe keeping.”

Works to the packhorse bridge are due to begin once the new adjacent footbridge works have been completed, however there have reportedly been some delay to allow utility companies to undertake their necessary works.

Cornwall Council are working with both the Environment Agency and Historic England on the project.

In response to the news of further damage, a spokesperson for Historic England said: “Historic England is advising Cornwall Council and their engineers Cormac on repairs to this historic bridge. We are aware that some stones require replacement as part of the works but will liaise with the council to ascertain if this report relates to an unrelated incident.”

The Post has contacted Cornwall Council for comment.